Choosing the Right Dart

First, choosing a dart is registration.  That’s just a long way to say “fit”, as the dart’s shape should fit the hand so comfortably that the darter never has to look at it, and is never tempted to change grip in the middle of a game. When picking up a dart, without looking at it, the barrel should immediately fall into a comfortable position in the hand.  Some groove, scallop, or band of knurling should provide a grip that is identical, every time you pick up the dart.  Everyone is a little different: different sized hands and fingers, plus different skin textures.  There are thousands of dart barrel designs, each one fitting a slightly different shaped hand and grip.

To check this, lay a few different darts on a table. Look away, then reach down and pick up a dart. Immediately, within a second or so, there should be what I call an “Ah-Ha!” moment.  The dart should just easily fall into a comfortable grip without thought or a lot of manipulation. If the darts doesn’t have that instant comfortable feel, keep trying darts, until you find the right dart to fit your hand.

When “throwing darts”, the idea is to just throw your fingertips through a spot on the board.. the dart just goes along for the ride.  Choose a dart that is so comfortable that you never have to think about it.

The dart should have enough texture so that it will not slip between your fingers, even with the lightest grip.  The dart barrel should just gently rest on the fingertips.

Test this by holding a dart as though ready to throw, at roughly eye level.  Now gently move the hand back & forth, as though practicing the start of the dart stroke.  Gradually loosen the fingers.  The dart should not slip until the fingers are actually opened away from the darts, as in a throw.  If the dart still slips while in a firm grip, the darter will have a tendency to squeeze the dart too hard. 

Such a too-hard grip will result in a wobbly throw, as the fingers & thumb cannot then release all at the same time. A tight grip will always mean that one or more fingers will push the dart aside during the release.

The dart should be held in the lightest possible grip, just enough to keep it from falling out of the hand during the stroke, it should not have so rough a grip that it sticks to your fingers.  On a hot day, or during a hot game, fingers might become moist.  If a dart barrel has too much grip, it will feel sticky, and not release evenly.

 Test this by squeezing the barrel, then let go.  If the dart feels “tacky”, there is too much grip for your skin texture. Try to find a dart that is easy to hold, but will not stick to your fingers no matter how humid the day, or if your hands become sweaty at the end of a hot game.